In summer 2013, I styled a small fashion editorial for l’étoile magazine, a now-defunct Minneapolis arts and fashion publication founded in 2005. (It ended its run a couple of years ago.) This spread highlighted candy-colored designs by emerging Minneapolis designers Claire Ward and Lindsey DeWitt along with pieces from local designer boutique Grethen House, as worn by an up-and-coming model, Haley O’Brien. The model, who had won the Miss Minnesota Teen pageant in 2010 when she was 17 years old, went on to become Miss Minnesota 2014, and that was the last I’d heard about her.
That is, until this past summer when I saw a familiar face pop up in my Twitter newsfeed. After some googling, I confirmed that one of the models featured in the 2019 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue was indeed the same Haley, now using her married name, Haley Kalil. (She married one-time Minnesota Viking player Matt Kalil in 2015.) After double majoring in biomedical science and psychology, with a minor in chemistry, Haley worked as an immunology lab tech and was planning to take the MCAT when she spotted the Sports Illustrated casting call on Instagram. She went on to win the competition for the opportunity to appear in the magazine.
Below, see the spread we did together, presented for the first time since its original publication:
